Retirees' Newsletter
Faculty and Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor

June, 1995. #13

EDITOR'S NOTE: There were no responses to my "open invitation" last time for glimpses into members' retirements... So, like any editor worth his floppies, I decided to take the plunge myself. After all, I couldn't leave the page blank; and what better excuse for some first-person indulgence! So here goes... Editor

BILL PHILLIPS - ECONOMICS / finishing in Africa; flag selling; and some "philosophy"

I retired from Economics in '87. For the first four years I continued my work in Africa: three to four trips a year to Lusaka, Zambia. Sadly, in 1991, my boss over there - Zambia's President Kaunda - got the boot in one of Africa's first free democratic elections. For me: Africa game over. I spent 1992 doing a two-volume, 500-page final report for The Canadian International Development Agency on why 26 years of sound economic advice to an African president (one of our honourary graduands, yet!) could have seemingly gone up in smoke.

Since the day I retired in '87, my wife and I have run a business retailing flags and flag-poles. We aim principally at business and industry. Today I'm willing to bet two grommet-hooks against a toggle, that we are the biggest such seller in Windsor. That venture has been fun, real fun! Then in 1990, Norm Shklov, Ralph Cowan and I re-started the Retirees' Association, and I started tapping out a communiqué known as The Retriees' Newsletter.

My feelings as a retiree? They're two-fold. First, gratitude. It was pure luck that my career (like those of many of us now in the Association) spanned what were probably the "best" four decades Canadian universities have ever known. My heart goes out to the young people who are just starting out in today's much more demanding environment; and I truly wish them godspeed and all the extra help they'll need.

Secondly, well, retirement is a bit of a leveller. One would think that all of us who have reached retirement age would know what the passage of time can do. But it's still a jolt when first you visit your old department and find people - a secretary perhaps, or some new faculty members - who have never heard of you... Not easy on one's self-esteem! ... My philosophy in such a situation? When you have given all you can reasonably be expected to give, move over gracefully and make way for those youngsters coming up. Try saying aloud, "Now I simply do not matter any more!", and mean it; you'll feel freer than you've felt in years. Incidentally, when you've reached that point, you must go out straightway and buy yourself a flag company The world will unfurl before your very eyes. And, yes, I do know of a deal that might be coming up soon at a price you just can't refuse!

W.G.P., Windsor

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